Web feeding device



1934- o. WOHLRABE WEB FEEDING DEVICE Filed May 23, 1929 Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlC WEB FEEDING DEVICE Application May 23, 1929, Serial No. 365,353

In Germany June 13, 1928 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for the automatic feeding of a printed web so that the web may register precisely with another printed web to which it is fed or with mechanism adapted l to further treat the web, for instance a cutting or folding device.

A device for feeding a printed Web making perfect register has already been described in my application Ser. No. 288,949, filed January 28, 1928 and now U. S. Patent No. 1,735,100 of November 12, 1929, and its chief feature consists in guiding the web the feeding speedof which is to be regulated about a cylinder at as great an angle as possible and in watching the web in the meantime, the diameter of the regulating cylinder being in a simple ratio to that of the impression cylinder or other mechanism with which the web must be accurately'registered. The present invention makes use of this basic idea for the automatic regulation of the feeding speed of the printed web and provides the cylinder withregulating means adapted to remain in effective connection over quite a large angle with certain arrangements such as perforations, impressions and the like on the web.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a device which, according to the invention, closes electric contacts at the regulating cylinder by means of perforations in the web. Fig. 1a is an end view, partly in section, of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a modification of the electric control of the paper feed and employs a conducting band for making the contact. Fig. 3 shows a modification causing the closing of the contacts by means of conducting impressions on the web. Fig. 4 illustrates a modified arrangement involving the provision of pneumatically controlled mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan of a regulating I device employing selenium cells. Fig. 6 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates one form of electrical relay mechanism which may be employed, and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating mechanism whereby the feed of the web may be regulated.

Referring to the drawing, the cylinder or drum 1 about which the web, which is to be regulated as to speed, is guided is provided with two contact strips 2 and 3 to which current is supplied by means of contact rings arranged onthe boss of the cylinder. The contact strips 2 and 3 are respectively arranged-in circuit with coils 26 and 27 of two relays serving as controlling means for the direction of rotation of the regulating electric motor. At the point where the contact strips 2 and 3 leave only a relatively narrow interstice a bracket 6 is mounted on the cylinder,

this bracket in turn supporting a shaft 8 on which one .or several brushes 7 are swingably positioned so that they may be shifted into or out of engagement with the web. These brushes are also connected to the current source the other Dole of which is associated with the coils 26 and 27. By means of a pair of bevel wheels 0 9, 10 and a lever 11 journaled in bracket 6 and carrying a roller 11' which engages in a cam groove 12 in a suitably arranged surface, the brushes 7 are brought into temporary contact with the cylinder 1 at each rotation and then. moved away again in such a way that, while they are in disengaged position, the web tobe regulated as to speed can be guided towards or away from the cylinder 1, the brushes-7 touching the web only within the angle at which it hugs the cylinder 1 and penetrating the web 15 at the places where corresponding perforations 16 are provided. If the perforation happens to lie between the contact strips 2 and 3 the circuit is not closed. On the other hand, if the 30 web 15 leads or follows, the perforations 16 will be shifted so as to overlie one of the contact strips 2 or 3, and the portions of the brushes engaging such contact strip will cause the closing or the circuit and the starting of the regulating motor in one direction or the other.

Instead of employing a circulating brush '7 for the closing of the contacts a stationary brush may be used by arranging it relative to the cyl- W inder 1 so that the web passes along it.

Moreover, for the same purpose, according to Fig. 2, a conducting band 20 such asa spiral spring or some other flexible connecting means can be used and passed over the insulatedguide 9 rollers 21 so that itifirmly hugs the cylinder 1 within the same angular range as the web 15. In this case, one pole of the current source is connected withthe band 20 and the other pole connected with the contacts 3 and 4 in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, the contacts being arrangedin multiple series on a cylinder the circumference of which is the multiple of the size of the sheet.

Instead of positioning the contact means on 10 different sides of the web they may be secured side by side to the cylinder 1 as in Fig. 3. For making contact, brushes of the kind described above with reference to Fig. 1 may be employed or impressions made with conducting ink on the no web, in which case the control current should be arranged so as not to endanger the paper.

Furthermore, the electric contacts can be controlled pneumatically by providing, according to Fig. 4, the cylinder 1 with the perforations 30 in each of which a piston 31 is slidingly arranged. Each piston is connected with contact levers 32 or 33 which have a common fulcrum 34 and are rotatably arranged on the cylinder 1, the free ends of the levers being provided with contact pieces cooperating with corresponding contacts 35 and 36 on the boss of the cylinder. The contact levers 32 and 33 are supplied with current preferably by means of the pin 34 while the contacts 35 and 36 are connected to coils having different directions of winding and being positioned on the armature of the regulating motor. The springs 37 urge the pistons 31 in the direc tion of the boss of the cylinder, butthe pistons can be drawn back against the action of the springs by a suction device so as to keep open the contacts 32, 35 and 33, 36. For this purpose the bores 30 are connected at their inner ends to small troughs 38 and 39 provided on the circumference of the cylinder 1, each of the troughs being in communication with a suction pump through' a suction piping 40 and 41. Between the troughs 38 and 39 there is sufficient space to permit of full suction effect in each trough independently of one another. At their point of emergence in the peripheral surface of the cylinder 1 the troughs are shut off by the paper web around the cylinder, and as long as the perforations in the web overlie the space between the troughs 38 and 39 on the cylinder, both sets of contacts 32, 35 and 33, 36 will remain open. However, as soon as the web leads or follows, the perforations will be disposed over one of the two troughs 38 and 39 so that an effective vacuum cannot develop and one of the springs 37 urges the corresponding piston 31 towards the inside of the cylinder 1 and closes the associated pair of contacts 32, 35 or 33, 36, whereupon, by means of'relays, the regulating motor influencing the feed of the web will be caused to act. I

The motor can further be controlled by selenium cells 50 and 51 which are arranged on the cylinder (Fig. 5) and which are in communication with the regulating motor by means of contact rings similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Within range of the selenium cells 50 and 51 the cylinder 1 is enclosed by a hood 52 formed so that, according to Fig. 6, the "web 15 may at one point move towards the cylinder and run off from it at another point. Where the web hugs the cylinder the hood 52 forms a casing wherein several lamps 53 may be positioned. The web 15 is provided with perforations through which during the leading or following of the web one of the selenium cells 59 or 51 may be illuminated by the lamps 53 and the reflecting inner wall of the hood 52. Instead of providing for illumination through perforations in the web one may utilize the difference in transparency of the printed and unprinted parts for the control of the regulating motor by positioning the selenium cells 50 so that during correct register these cells will be disposed beneath printed parts of the web having an unprinted portion therebetween. The selenium cells may be replaced by carolus cells or other devices adapted to respond to differences in transparency. It would further be possible to employ other means responding to other rays or forces.

Should the currents controlled by the regulating devices on the cylinder 1 be insufficient to operate relays, they must be intensified by known means such as triode vacuum tubes and the like. Or arrangements may be made to cause an uninterrupted fiow of current through the regulating means as soon as the web leads or follows relative to the desired feeding method. For this purpose the cylinder 1 should be dimensioned twice as large as the impression cylinder and be provided with two regulating means of the type chosen at two opposite points so that always at least one of them is in operating condition for conducting the current.

Any convenient arrangement may be employed for controlling the feed of the paper in response to energization of the coils 26' and 27. For instance, Figure 8 shows a conventional arrangement for effecting adjustment in which the web 15 is shown as being carried over a pair of guide rollers 70, 71, between which it takes an extended path over an adjusting roller 72 carried by an arm '73 provided on a pivotally mounted toothed segment 74 with which meshes a worm 75 driven by a reversible motor M. The relay 26 controls a switch contact 126 for one direction of rotation of the motor while the relay 2''! controls a switch contact 127 for the other direction of rotation.

Rotation of the motor in one direction or the other increases or decreases the extended path of the web and thereby retards or advances the web, this adjustment device being preferably disposed between the roll of pre-printed web and the conveyor carrying the error detecting device.

The foregoing arrangement is similar to that disclosed in the prior patents to Wood 589,519 and Fuchs 1,677,472.

In connection with the devices just described it should be taken into consideration that the paper might tear, in which case short-circuits 1 5 ments may be employed. The simplest method 2 of preventing the synchronous working of two relays acting in opposite directions consists in connecting them, according to Fig. '7, by means of auxiliary'switches to the line. Of the coils 26 and 2'7 connected to the regulating means of the cylinder 1 the first (26) is connected to the switching contact 56 and the other one (27) to the switching contact 57 of two switches; the first contact is actuated by the main switch 58 influenced by the coil 27 while the contact 5'7 can be disconnected by the main switch 59. It is evident that by the operation of one of the two relays the supply of current to the other isinterrupted so that short-circuiting is excluded without fail. Moreover, the current supply system just described is provided with a switch 60 acted upon by a coil 61 which is arranged within the circuit of a switch which begins to act as soon as the paper tears. Such switches are Well known and by their action the two coils 26 and 27 will be cut off completely in case the web should be torn.

I claim:-

1; Apparaus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along thelength is fed, comprising a rotatable drum, means for tion of said web and said drum, said mechanism including an impulse transmitting meanscomprising a flexible band disposed on the opposite side of that portion of the webextending about the drum, and effective over a substantial portion of the drum periphery, means carried by said drum for receiving the impulse, said web being provided at spaced intervals with portions pervious to such impulses, whereby the shifting of the web upon the drum affects the transmission of impulses therethrough to control mechanism by such impulses for regulating the feeding of the web.

2. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum, means for entraining said web about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of the drum, mechanism for detecting and correcting improper registration of said web and said drum, said mechanism including an electrical contact member movable with and extending about a substantial portion of the drum periphery and disposed on the opposite side of the web therefrom, and cooperating contact means on said drum, said web being provided with portions disposed at intervals along the length thereof permitting an electrical connection between said first named contact and the contact means carried by the drum upon shifting of the web with respect to said drum to control means by the making and breaking of such eletrical connection for regulating the feed of the web.

3. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted mat:

ter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatablb drum, means for entraining said Web about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of the drum, and mechanism for detecting incorrect registration of said web and said drum and for controlling the feed of said web to correct such registration, said mechanism including spaced electrical contacts on said drum between which perforations on said web will normally lie, and a cooperating electrical contact on the opposite side of the web, said last named contact extending about a substantial portion of the drum periphery and moving therewith, whereby shifting of the web with respect to said drum will effect electrical connection between said last nam d contact and one of said first named contacts.

4. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum, means for entraining said web about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of the drum, means for entraining a flexible electrically conducting band about the entrained portion of said web so that the band may contact and move with the web, electrical contact means carried by said drum, said web having portions pervious to electric impulses at spaced intervals along the length thereof, whereby the shifting of the web upon the 'drum serves to establish or interrupt connection between said band and contact means for controlling the feed of said web by the making and breaking of such connection.

5. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum,

'means for entraining said web about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of the drum, mechanism for detecting and correcting improper registration of said web with said drum, said mechanism including an impulse transmitting means disposed on' the opposite side of that portion of the web extending about the drum, rotatable with the drum, and effective over a substantial portion of the drum periphery, means carried by said drum for receiving the impulse, said web being provided at spaced intervals with portions pervious to such impulses, whereby the shifting of the web upon the drum affects the transmission of impulses therethrough for controlling by such impulses the feeding of the web.

6. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press, in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum, means for entraining said web about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of the drum, mechanism for detecting and correcting improper registration of said web and said. drum, said mechanism including an electrical contact member rotatable with said drum and disposed on the opposite side of the web therefrom, means for periodically moving said contact member toward and away from said drum to cause said member to contact with the entrained portion of said web, and cooperating contact means on said drum, said web being provided with portions disposed at intervals along the length thereof permitting an electrical connection between said first named contact and the contact means carried by the drum upon shifting of the web with respect to said drum for controlling by the making and breaking of such electrical connection, the feed of the web.

7. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of which said web is adapted to be entrained, mechanism for detecting and correcting improper registration of said web and said drum, said mechanism including an impulse transmitting means movable with said drum effective over a substantial portion of the drum periphery and means on said drum for receiving the impulse, said web being provided at spaced intervals with portions pervious to such impulses, whereby the shifting of the web upon the drum aifects the transmission of impulses to control mechanism by such impulses for regulating the feeding of the web.

8. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press in which a web of materialhaving index means disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is continuously fed, comprising a conveyor arranged to engage and travel with the web for a substantial distance, said conveyor being provided with pneumatically operated impulse transmitting and impulse receiving means moving therewith with which said index means is normally arranged to occupy a predetermined relative position, said second named means being effective over a substantial portion of said substantial distance in response to variation in the relative position between said second named means and said index means to properly register the web by controlling the feed of the latter.

9. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press in which a web of material having index means disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is continuously fed, comprising a conveyor arranged to engage and travel with the web for a substantial distance, said conveyor being provided with impulse transmitting and impulse receiving means moving therewith with which said index means is normally arranged to occupy a predetermined relative position, said second named means comprising fluid passages in said conveyor, and fluid operable devices associated with said passages, said second named means being effective over a substantial portion of said substantial distance in response to variation in the relative position between said second named means and said index means to properly register the web by controlling the feed or" the latter.

10. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press in which a web of material having perin the relative position between the web perforatidns and said fluid passages to effect operation of said fluid operable devices to properly register the web by controlling the feed of the latter.

11. Apparatus for use with a high speed printing press in which a web having preprinted matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof is fed, comprising a rotatable drum about a substantial portion of the curved periphery of which said web is adapted to be entrained, mechanism for detecting and correcting improper registration of said web and said drum, said mechanism including an impulse transmitting means comprising an electrical contact element movable with said drum effective over a substantial portion of the drum periphery, and means on said drum comprising a cooperating electrical contact element for receiving the impulse, said web being provided at spaced intervals with portions pervious to such impulses, whereby the shifting of the web upon the drum affects the transmission of impulses to control mechanism by such impulses for regulating the feeding of the web.

Y o'r'ro WOHLRABE. 

